From duties to achievements: writing CV bullet points that get interviews
Most CVs describe jobs. Strong CVs describe results. A recruiter already knows roughly what an accountant or a nurse does; what they don't know is how well you did it. The bullet points under each job are where you prove it.
The formula: action + task + result
Write each bullet in three parts:
- Start with an action verb in the past tense (present tense for your current job if you prefer).
- Say what you did, specifically.
- Show the result, with a number when you can.
Reduced invoice processing time from 5 days to 2 by introducing an approval workflow in SAP, saving about 20 staff hours a week.
You will see this idea called STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or CAR (Challenge, Action, Result). On a CV, you rarely need the situation; action and result do the work.
Before and after
| Before (duty) | After (achievement) |
|---|---|
| Responsible for social media accounts | Grew Instagram followers from 4,000 to 25,000 in 12 months with a weekly video series |
| Handled customer complaints | Resolved around 30 complaints a week and cut repeat complaints by 40% with a new FAQ |
| In charge of IT support | Kept 98% of tickets within the agreed response time for 350 users across 3 sites |
| Taught mathematics | Raised the pass rate of my Year 11 classes from 68% to 85% in two years |
| Supervised construction works | Delivered a 120-unit residential project two weeks ahead of schedule with zero lost-time injuries |
Where to find numbers
You probably have more figures than you think. Look for:
- Money: budgets managed, costs saved, revenue generated.
- Time: hours saved, deadlines met, faster delivery.
- Volume: customers served, tickets closed, students taught, units produced.
- People: team size, people trained, stakeholders managed.
- Quality: error rates, satisfaction scores, audit results, rankings.
If you don't have exact data, use honest estimates and ranges ("about", "more than", "up to") that you can explain in an interview. Never invent figures.
Strong verbs by type of work
- Leading: led, managed, coordinated, supervised, mentored
- Improving: reduced, increased, streamlined, automated, upgraded
- Creating: built, designed, launched, developed, introduced
- Selling and persuading: negotiated, won, secured, grew, converted
- Helping: resolved, supported, trained, advised, guided
Avoid weak openings such as "responsible for", "worked on", "helped with" and "duties included".
How many bullets?
- Current or most recent job: four to six.
- Older jobs: two to three.
- Jobs from more than 10 to 15 years ago: one line or none.
Put your most impressive result first in each job: many readers only see the first bullet.
Achievements without obvious numbers
Some roles are hard to quantify. Show scope, recognition or change instead:
- "Selected to represent the department in the national digital transformation committee."
- "Wrote the onboarding guide now used for all new support staff."
- "Only nurse in the unit certified to operate the new dialysis equipment."
Check each bullet
Read every line and ask: So what? If the answer isn't in the bullet, add it. Then ask: Could I explain this in an interview? If not, rewrite it until you could.